Fashion's Night Out 2011 here in the DFW area was a great success. From Northpark Center to Galleria Dallas, fashion enthusiasts across the city united for a fun night of shopping and entertainment. Here's a recap of how I spent my night!
What I wore:

Honestly, I had the hardest time deciding what to wear for the night. Fun tee and feather skirt? All black? Color blocks? Dress? Pants? Skinny jeans? I looked at pictures of what people wore last year and even checked out a few blog posts on what to wear. Finally, with the help of my husband and mom, I decided on this simple, classy outfit. Stylish and modest are always my style goals.

The venue:

I did some research on each venue and chose to attend the FNO festivities at the Southlake Town Square, an outdoor shopping center in Southlake, TX. The location was close to home and my mom and I wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather, so we knew it would be a great place to spend our night. Upon our arrival, I must admit that I was slightly surprised by the small crowd and lack of "hype". As we drove farther into the center, we saw that a crowd had gathered to see a fashion show that was going on. We parked and watched the show and then I took a picture on the FNO red carpet. Loved that.

What we did:

We started at Sephora where they were doing some makeup tutorials and offered refreshments from a local restaurant. We spent some time talking to the makeup artists and I was able to snag a pic with the lovely Stila cosmetics ladies. (Hello, Dani, if you're reading this!) I love Stila's Brown Sugar Lip Glaze, by the way. It's a little pricey for my taste but it's the perfect nude color for my skin tone. I usually request a new tube on my Christmas list each year.

After Sephora, we walked to Lemongrass Salon & Spa. On the way there, since they laid out the red carpet all throughout the shopping center, I snagged a fun photo of mom!

Now, I must say, my experience at Lemongrass Salon & Spa was the best part of our night. We both received a complimentary neck & back massage and were treated like queens. The staff was incredibly friendly and Nikki (our massage therapist) did a fabulous job. I had no idea how bad I needed that! They also had great refreshments including chocolate-covered strawberries, grapes, cheese and crackers and water with fruit floating in the jar. It was delicious. They also had hair care demonstrations and gave a goody bag of makeup and beauty product samples to each shopper. Well done, Lemongrass.

Our final stop for the evening was at Vera Bradley, and man is that place decorated to a T! I could live in there! Anyways, we saw some shoppers throughout the event carrying Very Bradley eco-friendly shopping bags and they told us that they were giving them away for free at the Vera Bradley store after you complete a handbag design sheet. So, like any free-stuff-loving shopper, we headed over fast. We sat down at the style workshop center in the store and spent at least 30 minutes working on our handbag designs using the colored pencils and rulers that they provided. After our designs were complete, we admired each other's creativity and went to the register to hand in our designs and get our free bags. Sadly, the associate notified us that they had just ran out and gave us some compact mirrors instead. We were disappointed to say the least, but the compacts were cute and featured patterns from this season's new designs. Here's a look at the handbags we designed.

My final verdict on FNO:

All in all, we had a great time together and were able to mingle with other ladies throughout the night. This was the first time that we had a mother/daughter night out as just the two of us since the baby was born! We got massages, free goodies, ideas on what to wear this fall from the fashion show and walked the red carpet. I would definitely suggest marking your calendar for next year and planning to go out with the special ladies in your life for FNO. It's a great opportunity to get dressed up and have some fun! Although there are some exclusive offers in the stores, you don't have to spend money. You can just browse around, get ideas for your fall wardrobe and make it a fun girl's night out with your Bible study group! My mother and I look forward to making this an annual mother and daughter tradition, and one day take Grace along with us!

Ideas/ Suggestions for next year:

Here are 7 tips that I formulated based on my experience at FNO and what I plan to incorporate into and consider for next year's plans:

1. Go out to eat before or after the event

Make a night of it! This year, I cooked and ate at home. Eating out would cost money, but if planned ahead of time it would really make the night fun. It would also keep you from devouring the refreshment platters!

2. Plan your outfit ahead of time

Try on various outfits and consider the following:

a. It's an evening event so incorporate colors/fabrics/patterns that are appropriate for night

Keep in mind that no matter where you're spending your night, you are guaranteed to be doing a lot of walking.

4. Review the event calendar of the venue that you will be going to.

Select the top stores/ events that you want to attend and find out where they are located. This will save you a lot of time during the evening and ensure that you do the things that you really want to do.

5. Carpool!

Depending on where you're going, there may be a lot of traffic and difficulty parking, not to mention the possible parking fees! You're not always guaranteed parking spots near each other so this will make things so much easier, plus it's good for the environment! Turn up your favorite car tunes, sing and dance, and make the car ride one of the funnest parts of your night!

6. Arrive at your venue early.

Consider the fact that you may need to park far away and walk to the events. Give yourself time to attend the events at ease without rushing.

7. Have fun!

Take pictures! Get your makeup done! Buy a cute top if you see one! Just have fun.

So, how did you participate in FNO in your area? Do you have any suggestions for next year's Fashion's Night Out? I'd love to know! Share your thoughts below!

This summer has yielded the most relentless hot weather I have ever experienced. When it comes to my hair, the best hairstyle for this blazing heat is a high ponytail or bun. No bangs, no pretty curls...just swept back and up.

This Saturday, I was putting my hair up and created a fun hair bow bun!
Here's how to create your own stylish, hair bow bun:

1) Brush your hair back & up and secure it into a high ponytail with a ponytail holder.
2) Pull your ponytail through the holder just enough to make a loose, hanging bun.
3) Take a small section of your bun from the front & center and pull it forward, releasing it from the ponytail holder. (I used the short section from my bangs)
4) Wrap that section of hair under your ponytail holder and pull a part of it forward to create a small puff. Blend the rest of it into the loose bun.
5) Pull a few strands of hair from both sides of your bun and release them from the ponytail holder, making them the hanging parts of the bow.
6) Style as desired and make it your own, unique hair bow bun!

Let me know if you try it out and how you like the style! I know you'll look beautiful! :)

Since the beginning of my BeautyMarkedMom journey, my posts have been focused on developing your inner beauty and taking time out for yourself on the "Do You!" page. Today, I'm excited to share my first post on style & fashion. For those of you that don't know me well (yet), I am the ultimate bargain shopper and love putting together outfits according to my ever-evolving personal style. I never ever ever pay retail price for any of my clothes, my husband's clothes or my daughter's clothes. My mom taught me a long time ago how to shop for stylish, designer clothing and only pay a fraction of the cost. My motto/goal when it comes to shopping is this: "Buy the most stylish, well-made item for the lowest possible price". That's just how I roll! Not only is it extremely cost-effective to bargain shop, but it's also extremely fun!! Especially when you see that item that you've had your eye on for weeks finally go down to the perfect price. Ahhhh, what a feeling :).
This past weekend I got a chance to go shopping at Target and Marshall's, two of my favorite stores, to find great deals on stylish pieces. On Saturday morning I received my monthly Target mobile coupons, which I tweeted to all of my twitter followers (share the love, right?!), and saw that there was one for $3 off any Merona women's item over $10. Now, this coupon was valid on even Merona items that were on sale, so I was too excited to head to Target & see what I could find. When I got to the store I scanned the full-price racks on my way to the sale section. Didn't see anything I couldn't live without. Then I looked thoroughly through the 50% off, 75% off and finally the 30% off racks. In that exact order. (The 30% off rack is a last resort because I've noticed that the items there end up getting marked down to 50% in a few weeks so I just wait it out). Anyways, I found a beautiful coral dress that zips up the back & ended up only paying a whopping $9.00! Shopping testimony! Holla if you hear me! I was so excited. The item was originally $24.99 so I think it was a great deal. And with the whole outfit put together with my Nine West gladiator wedges, Ann Taylor Loft necklace & rose gold stud earrings (I LOVE rose gold), I know that I purchased a quality piece to add to my summer wardrobe. And I have something cute to wear on my next date night!

So, since you've been so kind as to read my entire post, you know I've gotta share the love and jump-start your week with some coupons! Here are a few Target mobile coupons that you can redeem using the barcode right from your smartphone!

Have a wonderful week and please stop by and share your shopping testimony!